


The Last Resort Against the Inquisition

by PeriPeriwinkle



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Feels, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Old Friends, Past Relationship(s), Poliamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 05:12:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8736169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeriPeriwinkle/pseuds/PeriPeriwinkle
Summary: So close to Coryphieus' demise and with their numbers dwindling dangerously, the Venatori are desperate for new field recruits who are willing to give all of themselves into a last shot against the dreaded Inquisition.And that is how Rilienus and Dorian meet again.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coveredinfeels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coveredinfeels/gifts).



> Happy holidays [coveredinfeels](http://archiveofourown.org/users/coveredinfeels/pseuds/coveredinfeels)!! I hope you like this little thing I wrote and that you have a good end of 2016 ^_^

The Emerald Graves is one of Bull’s favorite locations; warm, but not stifling hot like Seheron. The trees are as tall as the Skyhold castle, the animals friendly and carefree, and the druffalo that often get caught in the crossfire when they kill the region’s giants make for wonderful stews and warm coats for the Inquisition. Not to mention the stunning view from the hill where they killed the Greater Mistral high dragon that resided there; that day, as the wind whipped at their faces and cooled the sweat from their bodies, Bull felt _free_. So yes, the woods are definitely one of Bull’s favorite locations.

And now Adaar has brought them back to scout out a few sighted Venatori, which is easy enough. So close to coming face-to-face with Corypheus, it’s normal that Adaar wants to wrap up all unfinished business they might have; better not to leave any loose threads that might bite them in the ass later lest they ignore them or pretend to forget about them.

Atop a hill, Bull eyes the Venatori camp. They’ve spotted them after just two days into the forest, a meager total of five men, badly hiding in between the wildlife as the smell of spicy stew comes from one of their fires. Fleetingly, Bull hopes they still have some of those herbs in their packs; he’s been missing the tastes of the north.

All five Venatori look to be young mages, sitting around logs and rocks as if bored, a heavy silence hovering over them.

As if they didn’t want to be there.

“Bull, Dorian, Sera,” Adaar whispers, turning to the three of them. “You know the drill. I’ll put up a static cage, Dorian will shield us. But this time, hit to incapacitate, not to kill. We want prisoners today, not charred and hackled corpses. Got it?”

It’s not the usual protocol when it comes to Venatori, and Bull would be almost disappointed if he didn’t also feel proud of Adaar for spotting the mages’ uneasiness the same way he did. Dorian frowns and Sera puckers her lips in disapproval, but before they can say anything, Bull speaks up.

“Yes, boss,” Bull says, and following his lead, Dorian and Sera nod. Adaar counts to three and lifts her staff.

The crackling in the air and the smell of an incoming storm that comes with Adaar’s lighting spells always makes Bull’s nose twitch and goosebumps tickle in his arms and nape, but it’s undeniable that they are crazy efficient. Once the Venatori are caught up in the cage, Dorian throws a shield over the four of them and Adaar casts a lightning bolt that staggers and stuns the men. Sera shoots arrows so precise they shatter the focus cristal atop their staffs, and Bull steps in only to throw a knife that sinks neatly onto the bicep of a Venatori still able to move his arm, making him drop his staff and scream in pain.

Dorian casts a spell that puts the ones still standing to sleep, and as quickly as it all begun it’s all over, not even a single scratch on any of them. They’ve come a long way since their first fight, fumbling and struggling to keep their eyes on the targets, now so in sync it’s barely an effort to put down such a small group from this long of a distance.

Down the hill they go, Adaar restraining the Venatori with magic-annulling cuffs as Sera dashes away to fetch for the Inquisition scouts on the nearby camp so they can take the prisoners away to Skyhold. Bull is fiddling with their packs, happily stashing away pouches upon pouches of Tevinter chilli and spices, already planning what he can cook with those as a surprise for Dorian and Krem, when he hears a sharp gasp behind him. In a heartbeat he’s back up and on his feet, axe held in his right hand, alert.

Turns out it was Dorian, who’s now crouching besides one of the Venatori, hands shaking as he pulls the man’s hood back, revealing long, curly locks and a face twisted in agony as the muscles in his body are most likely still seized up, a long lasting effect from Adaar’s electric bolts.

“Dori... an...?” The man moans painfully, and after a stunned moment Dorian fumbles with his belt pouch until he finds a healing potion. He then tries to tip into the man’s mouth with trembling fingers, but the Venatori turns his head away with the little strength he has left. Dorian clicks his tongue, bottom lip trembling as he forces the man’s head in place.

“It’s a _healing potion_ , you damned fool, just drink it for the love of the Maker. Honestly, I... I cannot believe, _you_ , of all people...!” Dorian whispers, voice wavering and weak, and Bull straps his axe back on his back as Adaar comes to see what all the fuss is about.

“Dorian? Do you know this man?” She asks, and Dorian barks a single _hah_ , as humourless as possible and maybe just that side of hysterical. Bull hates when his kadan is in distress and there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it.

“Oh, do I ever.” Dorian shakes his head as he places the now empty vial aside and gently tips the Venatori’s head back on the grass. He’s looking a lot more conscious and in a lot less pain now, although his brows are drawn up in a different kind of distress that Bull recognizes right away. “Cherut, amatus... may I introduce you to Rilienus of House Varma, most recently of Qarinus.”

“Can’t exactly say I’m pleased to meet you,” Adaar huffs, crossing her arms, and Bull says nothing, watching as the man’s face twists awkwardly, first with confusion as he looks at Bull, then understanding as he stares back at Dorian.

“Amatus...?” Rilienus whispers, and Dorian looks down upon him with a deep, heavy sadness that hurts deep inside Bull’s chest, like an ice claw seizing his heart and squeezing with an iron grip. Dorian sighs and brushes a lock of hair away from the man’s forehead, gently, like a lover might’ve.

Like something he must’ve done a hundred times before.

“Yes, well... we have a lot to catch up on, amicus.”

 

\---

 

Rilienus is arrested with the other Venatori found in the Emerald Graves, but kept in a separate, warmer cell per Dorian’s request. The first day back in Skyhold, Dorian follows Bull into the tavern, but he fidgets nervously on his seat and barely touches his drink, pulling on his sleeves and tinkering with his buckles. Bull knows exactly why.

“Go talk to him,” he says, brushing the back of his fingers over Dorian’s bare shoulder. Dorian looks up at Bull, lips pressed together tightly.

“Bull, I--”

“Dorian. _Kadan_.” At the endearment, Dorian relaxes, sighing out through his nose. “Whoever this man is, it’s obvious he’s important for you. Or was at least at some point. So, go. Talk to him.”

He hesitates, wrings his hands together, bites his lip, a slight nervous tick he has when he wants to ask for something but is highly unsure if he _should_.

“Come with me, Bull,” he finally whispers, one of his hands wrapping around the strap of his shoulder harness. “You deserve to know about Rilienus. About us.”

They walk out of the Herald’s Rest together, but Dorian grabs onto Bull’s hand and doesn't let go, steering him towards the stables, his steps slow and measured. Bull lifts his brow, questioningly, and Dorian grins shyly.

“Indulge me, will you?” He squeezes Bull’s hand tighter, and Bull grins, lifts their joined hands and kisses each of Dorian’s knuckles, one at a time.

Dorian sighs, takes a few more steps in silence, waits until he’s sure no one’s trying to listen to their conversation. Even after so long with the Inquisition, even after gaining the respect of so many of its members, Dorian is as always wary, worried about other people’s opinions. Once he sees that most of Skyhold’s residents have already retreated for the evening does he begin to talk.

“We’ve met when we were young, Rilienus and I,” Dorian begins, looking anywhere but towards Bull. Nervous. Nostalgic, maybe. “I was already famous for being kicked out of every other circle in Tevinter, and Rilienus thought it was not an embarrassment, but rather an incredible feat. We became friends rather quickly, and then we were friends who occasionally shared sordid little secrets, until we were friends who occasionally made out with each other, until I was, too, expelled from that circle at the age of twenty-one, for leaving a peer of mine badly injured after I won a duel he’d dared me to accept.

“Of course, whatever there was between Rilienus and I wasn’t serious. He was one of the few acquaintances I had whom I could call a friend, and in my Tevinter-raised mind, a friend could never be more than that, so we never went beyond kisses and wandering hands, no matter how much I might’ve wanted to. And, in parallel, I slept with anyone else that might’ve shown the slightest interest in me in the brothels and clubs I visited during the nights. Then naturally told Rilienus all about it.

“When father got tired of my rebellious nature and sent me to the Order of Agent school in Minrathous, forbidding me to contact anyone, even Rilienus, I’d completely thrown all shame and dignity out the metaphorical window. The place had a tight security system, but nothing that my abilities couldn’t work around. It took me merely three months to circumvent the spells they’d placed around the school windows. I fled to the elvhen slums, where in my naivety I was sure no one my father knew would find me or recognize me, and drank myself to a stupor every night and fucked my way through the days.”

Dorian drifts closer to Bull as the story goes on, and Bull in turn puts his arm around his shoulders, rubbing his thumb over the bare skin of his arm. Dorian relaxes minutely, leaning into the touch, watching as a bog unicorn nibbles on a patch of grass outside his stable.

“Alexius found me, eventually, and took me under his wing, and that’s when I regained contact with Rilienus. We constantly exchanged letters, mingled easily in the various social events and balls that I often attended with the Alexius family, and at one point he even suggested he’d get us a pair of a sending crystal. I didn't know it back then, but I was, for a lack of a better word, smitten.”

“He sounds like a good guy,” Bull whispers as they turn around to make their track back to the courtyard, and Dorian sighs.

“He was. Like a true young man in love, he was my everything. I spent a great many years in Alexius’ manor, before... well. Before Livia and Felix were surprised by darkspawn on their track back from Orlais, and Alexius became obsessed with undoing what was done to them.

“Me and Felix were already close friends by then, but we both became a lot closer after he got sick, and it was around that time that I realized my true feelings for Rilienus by noticing how unlike the ones I held for Felix they were. Soon after that particular epiphany Rilienus just happened to visit the Alexius’, Felix’s doing I’m now sure, and I was so overjoyed to be with the two people I loved the most that it was nearly overwhelming. Felix retired to his quarters early that evening, I invited Rilienus to join me for a night walk, and, well. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“So you two were together for a while, then.”

“Quite, yes,” Dorian laughs, ducking his head. “Rilienus apparently had been pining for me since we first met, but had no idea how to tell me, especially since I kept sleeping around with every man that that crossed my way and showed no romantic interest in him whatsoever. We were together for two years, more or less, until one day... one day he came to the Alexius state and told me he was getting married.”

“Shit,” Bull mutters, hugging Dorian tighter. “That’s a low blow.”

“Yes, well. It wasn’t his fault, really. I was just glad to hear it from him and not from, say, a random envoy sent by his family. Turns out that his father suspected Rilienus was up to something, so he intercepted his mail and found out about our relationship. He was already betrothed to the lady, so in the end it was simply a matter of rearranging the dates and papers to speed up the process.”

“What happened, then? Did he come to, what, invite you to the ceremony?”

Dorian scoffs, smiling sadly. “As if. His father would have my head if I even dared to step foot into any Varma property after ‘corrupting his son’, in his own words. No, he’d come to break off our arrangement. He wasn’t happy about it, but he also didn’t want to be unfaithful to his wife, and so we agreed it’d be better if we both parted ways.”

Silence falls over them as they finish their path back to the Herald’s Rest courtyard. Dorian looks towards the door that leads to the cells and hesitates, tensing under Bull’s arm, so Bull steers them both towards a wide tree, where he pulls Dorian to sit down next to him. He does so with no complaints, sagging against Bull’s side as if he’s exhausted and lazily rubbing his cheek against his side. Bull hums, and Dorian sighs, content, before continuing.

“Rilienus told me he’d spend the evening at an inn that day, near the Alexius estate. Told me to meet with him there after the seventh bell, so we could have or _final goodbyes_ while he was still single. Always the hopeless romantic, that man. And then... that very same day, I had an argument with Alexius. I can’t even remember the exact reasons for it, but it was quite bad. I told myself that there was no more hope for the man, and although I was sick with worry for Felix, I told myself I couldn’t take it anymore. I packed my things, left, and met up with Rilienus in the inn he was staying. Rented a different room to keep my bags in, so he wouldn’t know I was going away. Told myself it’d be better that way. He’d get married, continue the family line, make his parents proud. Unlike me, of course.”

Dorian sighs again, looking up at where a couple of sparrows hop from one branch to another. Bull allows him to have this moment of silence, waiting for as long as he needs. Holds his hand and squeezes, reassuring. After a moment, Dorian squeezes back.

“You know... that day, as we were lying together in bed, I considered asking him to come with me. To run away together and never look back. Leave it all behind. I couldn’t do it, of course. I’d ruin his perfect life. It would be selfish of me to ask that of him. Cole recently informed me that, had I asked him, he would’ve said yes. I’m not sure if I’m glad for knowing that or not.”

“Cole means well,” Bull whispers, but he also knows that ignorance is a bliss; sometimes, not knowing is indeed better. Dorian hums and places a kiss on Bull’s collarbone.

“You know the rest of the story, more or less. I spent the next few months in the slums again, avoiding my parents’ envoys, until I was filled with remorse and went back to the Alexius estate to reconcile. Of course, I didn’t know it then but by that point he’d already left with Felix to join the Venatori, so I only found his servants there, maintaining the house, and that was my tilting point. If before I was whoring my way through Tevinter but trying to be at least mildly discreet about it, after Alexius disappeared I threw all caution out the window and tried my best to be the scandal of the year in the Emperium. Which obviously worked, considering how months later my father’s men barged uninvited into the Abrexis’ manor and killed all guards in sight until they found me, naked in bed with Abrexis’ youngest son, and literally dragged me out of there.”

“Shit. You had it rough, kadan,” Bull’s lips brush against his hair, and he kisses the top of Dorian’s head. Dorian, in response, doesn’t even complain about Bull potentially messing up his hairdo, which speaks volumes as to how upset of reliving the story he is. “Thank you for telling me.”

“And you for listening, amatus.” Dorian snuggles closer to Bull, feet scraping the floor as he adjusts his position under the tree. They stay there for a while longer, watching as the sun begins to set, and finally Dorian hums softly, leaning up to press a kiss over Bull’s lips. “Alright. Let’s go see him before I lose my bravado, shall we?”

 

\---

 

The trek down the dungeons feels longer than the slow walk they’d done around the courtyard, mostly because the silence between them feels heavy and overpowering, and the guard downstairs allows them to have some privacy, walking back up the stairs to have her evening meal. Rilienus, once they reach his cell, is lying belly up on his cot, hands and arms behind his head as he counts the tiles in the ceiling under his breath.

“Rilienus,” Dorian says, the words almost drown out by the constant noise of the waterfall outside. The man hears him loud and clear, however, and he quickly sits up on his cot, eyes wide as Dorian shakes his head. He opens his mouth to say something, but Dorian beats him to it, quickly cutting him off. “What were you _thinking?_ The Venatori, _really?_ ”

“You know me better than that, Dorian,” Rilienus says, raising both hands to his nape and lifting his chin with a grunt. “It wasn’t my choice. _Father_ joined the cult, then Janine’s father as well. We were pressured into it.”

Dorian scoffs, glaring. “And then, what? They _forced_ you to kill innocent people, too?”

“Thankfully not, and I wouldn't do it even if they did anyway.” He gets off the cot and kneels down on the floor, head leaning against the bars. Dorian’s glare falters for a moment. “ _Everyone_ around us was joining the Venatori. With so many of its members dying in the war, they got desperate for last minute supporters to join their forces. But it was _insanity_ to go against the Inquisition at that point in time, and everyone knew it. The people who were against the Venatori eventually went into hiding, and the ones who were supporting the Venatori but refused to be part of what they called a blatant suicide mission _disappeared_. Janine managed to convince her parents to be a sort of passive supporter, helping them with contacts, so she’s back home in Qarinus right now taking care of the kids, but I was assigned to come as a last attempt against the Inquisition.” He sighs, and Dorian, after hesitating, crouches down to his level. Bull stays a little ways behind, giving them a wide berth should they feel like they need the space. “As you could see, none of us were too happy about it. We knew it was a lost cause as soon as we left Tevinter.”

Dorian sighs for the upteenth time of the day, running his fingers through his hair as he bows his head. “Children, huh? Plural, even.”

“ _Ah_. Yes. Nadine’s already two-years-old, and Janine just gave birth to a healthy young boy. We decided on the name Carlile right before I left for the Emerald Graves.” Rilienus chuckles awkwardly, head turning towards Dorian. One of his cuffed hands slithers through the bars, and Dorian looks down at it, eyes softening as he tangles their fingers together, his perfectly manicured black nails clashing with Rilienus’ dirty and crooked ones, a clear sign of an unaccustomed person forced to spend time in the wilderness. “We haven’t spoken in a while, huh.”

”We really haven’t,” Dorian whispers, rubbing his thumb against Rilienus’ hand, and something inside Bull’s chest clenches. It’s such an intimate and sad sight; two friends and lovers torn apart by life’s unfortunate events, then rekindled together as enemies. “Are you happy, Rilienus?”

“Yes. Despite the circumstances that brought us together, Janine is a fair and kind lady, ruthless when the situation calls for it. She’s a good mother to our daughter, and I’m sure she’ll be the same to our son.” He looks up, past Dorian and towards Bull, their eyes meeting. He grins. “What about you, friend? How is the Inquisition treating you?”

Dorian looks up towards that same direction and widens his eyes, almost as if he’s forgotten for a second that Bull is there. Bull, in return, grins suggestively as he waggles his brow, and Dorian blushes, coughing against his fist.

“It has been treating me quite well, as of now at least,” he says, eyes crinkling with a smile. “Rilienus, let me introduce you to The Iron Bull, Tal-Vashot, honorary member of the Inquisitor’s inner circle, and leader of the illustrious mercenary group The Bull’s Chargers.”

Bull steps closer to the cell, and Rilienus untangles his fingers from Dorian’s to reach up and shake Bull’s hand. “Charmed,” Rilienus says, and Bull nods once.

“Pleasure's all mine. Dorian’s told me a lot about you.”

“Really?” He lifts a single brow, and Dorian’s blush deepens, lips pressing tightly together, like an unspoken warning that Rilienus deliberately ignores. “Did he tell you about the time when we went out shopping for jewelry, and he--”

“ _Rilienus!_ ” Dorian hisses between his teeth, and the man laughs genuinely for the first time.

“Nah, we didn’t get that far yet, but I’m sure I’ll hear of it eventually,” Bull says, smiling impishly, and Dorian huffs.

“We’re getting off-topic here. Back to your question, _yes_. The inquisition has been treating me kindly. We had a rocky start, given my very Tevinter upbringing, but nowadays I am proud to call Cherut a good friend of mine, as well as several other members of the Inquisition, such as Sera, the archer you sort-of met before, Vivienne de Fer, Orlais’ grand enchanter, Cullen, the general of the Inquisition’s forces, and so on. And, of course, my dearest Bull.”

“So you two _really_ are...”

“Yes. We really are.” Dorian smiles again, a small and shy thing, and Bull does too, ever so fond of his kadan.

“I honestly never thought you’d fall for a qunari, all things considered, Dorian.”

“You’re not the only one, truly. Considering that Bull was the second qunari I ever met that didn’t immediately want to rip the flesh off my face, I was also quite shocked when we eventually came to be together.”

“And I was happy as shit. I mean, have you seen that face? _And_ that ass?” Bull quips playfully, trying to break the tension that has gathered in the room, succesfully making Rilienus laugh as Dorian’s cheeks become an even deeper red.

“Oh, have I seen them,” Rilienus grins, making Dorian splutter.

“You two...! Insufferable, I swear! A menace!”

“Oh, you love it, kadan,” Bull drawls, waggling his brow, and Dorian sags back against the wall as if put-upon.

“I truly do, amatus,” Dorian chuckles with a hand against his face, utterly defeated, and Rilienus watches it all, pleased.

“I’m glad,” Rilienus says, making Dorian turn back to him. “I’m glad you found someone, amicus. You deserve happiness.”

“Same here, Rilienus,” Dorian whispers, reaching into the bars and swiping a lock of the man’s long hair behind his ear. “I promise, you’ll be out of this wretched, cold place as soon as possible.”

“It truly is cold here.” He hums, then cradles Dorian’s hand against his cheek, and Bull, surprisingly, doesn’t feel like he’s intruding anymore. He feels like he _belongs_.

 

\---

 

Despite his promise, it takes longer than ideal for Dorian to get Rilienus out of the dungeon. They send a fast raven to Maevaris to confirm his story, and indeed the remaining Venatori in Tevinter are threatening the few people they have left to join either the front lines or the missing magisters brave enough to refuse. Turns out most of the disappearances are a result of Mae’s fine work and Leliana’s small yet efficient group of spies stationed in Tevinter; they were given asylum in Mae’s properties outside the Imperium in exchange for contacts and funds to help the Inquisition, and are scheduled to return to their homes once the threat of Corypheus and the Venatori are expunged from their country.

A small exchange with Rilienus’ wife, a few promises of helping Mae under the covers, and five days later Rilienus is nominated an Inquisition Agent along with his other four friends. Dorian tells Bull that he has never seen a man so glad to have a proper bed and blankets before.

“Except for me when the Inquisition first reached Skyhold, of course,” he says, sipping on his ale as the rest of the table laughs. “Having sturdy stone walls for a shelter instead of a flimsy flapping tent makes all the difference, let me tell you.”

“Well, you obviously haven’t spent five days in a row inside a stone cell that’s located on the underground of a snowy mountain, trying to sleep with the sound of a fucking waterfall right next to your ear!” Rilienus exclaims, and Dorian nods, grinning.

“Talk to me after you’ve trekked around Ferelden for weeks at a time, my friend.” A few voices around the table agree with hums and a “hear, hear”. Next to him, Bull nods solemnly, then gives the tiniest bite into a sweet orlesian cake that Josie distributed to the inner circle to celebrate the new connections the Inquisition made.

Surprisingly, the inner circle accepted Rilienus’ presence rather easily. Bull suspects that the long-term convivence with Dorian made them more accepting of any ‘Vints Dorian deemed trustworthy. Rilienus looks much more lively after spending a good evening sleeping in his own quarters, and given the way he nudges against Dorian and throws his arm around him as they whisper to each other, he’s more than glad to be back by his old friend’s side.

It makes Bull glad, too.

Dorian snacks on the sweets and nurses a bottle of Antivan wine with Rilienus. Bull joins in and tries some of the wine himself, abandoning his ale, and discovers it isn’t half-bad. In fact, it’s quite a good wine. He looks back at where Dorian and Rilienus are laughing together at yet another inside joke; Dorian alone would’ve drained the bottle by himself at this point, but instead, the bottle is only half empty, as they both take a tiny sip every now and then in between nibbling on sweets and the cheese that’s been served with bread for supper.

“You planning on staying sober, kadan?” He whispers against the shell of Dorian’s ear, topping off his glass. He hums in response, shoulders raising with a pleasant shiver that he doesn’t even try to shake off.

“Perhaps,” Dorian purrs sweetly, looking at Bull under his lashes, and Bull growls, nosing at Dorian’s cheek until he giggles and pushes against his shoulder playfully.

From Dorian’s other side, Rilienus sighs.

“I always worried,” Rilienus begins, loud enough so only Bull and Dorian can hear, thumbing at the ridge of his wine glass, “that after we broke it off, that you’d go back to your old habits. And you did. I was forced to stay home for a few months after we last saw each other, taking care of the details of my marriage, and all I could think about was you. Debauching yourself unto men who wouldn’t treat you right. Who didn’t deserve you. It killed me to know I couldn’t be there for you anymore.”

And Dorian, sweet, kind Dorian, looks down upon Rilienus as if he’s broken his heart all over again. He rests a hand, gently, atop Rilienus’ own, and caresses the skin of his wrist with his thumb. A touch so intimate, so gentle, and yet so subtle no one else on the table notices it, too enthralled in their own little worlds and their precious and fragile momentaneous happiness.

“Let’s get out of here, shall we?” Dorian asks, flicking his head back, then looking back at Bull, almost as if waiting for confirmation. “How’s that sound, Amatus?”

“Your room or mine?” He asks, and Dorian hums.

“Yours. Bigger bed.”

Bull gets up from his seat, and grins as he sees Rilienus’ shocked expression, his cheeks flushed and mouth slightly agape. He doesn’t, however, complain as Dorian pulls him up from his seat by his hand, locks their arms together and says his goodbyes to the people on the table as he cradles the bottle of wine on his other arm. The ones still sober enough wave, a couple of people whistle, teasing the trio, and Bull chuckles as he follows the two men up the wooden steps up to his room.

Once up there, Bull locks all three doors, pulls the pink curtain over his only window. Rilienus looks around, curious, and for the first time in a while Bull does the same. It’s obvious to see how Dorian’s influence has slowly bled into his room; two beautiful rugs, imported directly from Val Royeaux, cover the floor under the bed and before the fireplace, and Bull admits that he loves the feeling of it under his bare toes first thing when he wakes up. The pink curtains were Bull’s doing, but the entire refurbishing of the room was Dorian’s; the ceiling hole, the loose stones, the furniture. Behind his work desk, a few shelves Dorian repurposed are filled with trinkets, both Bull’s and Dorian’s (but mostly Dorian’s), there's a lovely mirror on the wall next to the water basin for Dorian’s morning routine, and two shelves of books, two-thirds of them either brought in from Dorian’s library nook or were simply delivered to him for his research and just never made to the actual library. Rilienus doesn’t see it, but the vanity’s drawers are equally filled with clothes from them both, for the days Dorian doesn’t spend in his room.

Now that Bull thinks about it, Dorian rarely sleeps in his own room anymore. He wouldn’t be surprised if in Dorian’s room his own shelves were half empty, and the few trinkets left there were covered in a thin layer of dust.

“You’ve settled in quite nicely, I see,” Rilienus comments, and Dorian turns around after he hangs his coat behind the desk’s chair.

“I rather have, haven’t I,” Dorian comments idly, making his way to Rilienus and pulling his jacket off his shoulders, making the man shiver despite the warmth of the room. Dorian drapes that too over the back of the chair, then turns his attention back to Rilienus, rubbing his hands over his shoulders and arms before leaning in and hugging the man. It takes Rilienus a second, but he returns the gesture, almost melting into the touch. Bull sits down on his bed and starts removing his brace, giving them some space.

“Oh how I missed you, amicus,” Dorian mumbles against Rilienus’ neck, their intertwined bodies rocking back and forth as they hold onto each other as tightly as possible, years of distance and longing finally over as they remind themselves that they’re _here_ , they’re together and alive and okay, reunited at long last. Bull only knows a small fraction of their history, and the little he knows is enough to see how _badly_ they both need this, this sweet embrace that comforts and soothes their minds and bodies.

“Ah, Dorian,” Rilienus sighs, pulling back to cradle Dorian’s face in his hands. They’re both crying, Bull notes, watching as Dorian’s kohl smudges over his cheek, Rilienus wiping it away with his thumb. “You’re even more beautiful as I remember.”

“Likewise. The years have been kind to you.” Dorian runs his fingers over Rilienus’ curls, wraps them around his finger. He then leans back in and rests his head over the man’s collarbone, closes his eyes as his fingers curl and pull against the fabric of his shirt. “I’m so glad that you are here.”

Rilienus places a single kiss over Dorian’s head, then buries his nose in his hair, inhaling sharply. “Me too, amicus. There is no finer company I could ask for in all of Thedas.”

“Not even your wife?” Dorian asks after a brief pause, his voice small and tentative as he tilts his head down, and Rilienus sighs.

“I adore my wife, but we are more good friends than anything else. She had the galls to laugh at me when I told her of my wish to be faithful to her.”

Dorian lets out an indignant yelp, making Rilienus chuckle. “Rude.”

“Quite. But it wasn’t her intention to mock me. When she sobered up she explained that she had no intentions of making me unhappy. Something that she kindly reminded me in her letter, after I told her I’d finally reunited with you, here in the Inquisition.”

“Oh.” I all Dorian says, and he lifts his head, looks back into Rilienus’ eyes. Both their cheeks are flushed at the admission, eyes so filled with longing and affection it warms Bull’s heart all over again to see it, to find his kadan, usually so reserved about his past and his friends, being so open and unashamed about how much he loves this man. How much he _cares_.

Almost as if hearing his thoughts, Dorian looks back at Bull, eyes wide, then shakes his head sharply, pulling back slightly from Rilienus’ arms.

“No, I... although it fills me with joy to hear it, amicus, I... I have Bull now.” He looks straight at Bull then, stretches his arm towards him, like an invitation to join them. Bull gets up, makes his way to both men and holds Dorian’s hand. Immediately Dorian curls his fingers around Bull’s knuckles and brings them to his lips, kissing them as he closes his eyes tightly, almost in pain. “I do not use the word ‘love’ lightly, nor will I ever. He is my amatus, my _everything_ , and I cannot abandon him. Not even for you.”

“Hey, who said anything about abandoning anyone?” Bull asks, moving closer to wipe a fresh tear that wells up on the corner of Dorian’s eye. Bull smiles, softly, reassuringly, so Dorian knows he’s serious. “I’m not a jealous man. I can share. If you want.”

“Amatus...!” Dorian whispers, half-horrified half-shocked, and Bull grins. From the corner of his eye he sees Rilienus just as equally taken aback. “I... I couldn’t...!”

“ _Kadan_ ,” Bull whispers, leaning down and touching foreheads with him. Dorian melts into the touch, never breaking eye contact. “I love you. You know this. And I also know that if you say you don’t want to leave me, then I’ll believe you, because you wouldn’t lie to me.” Dorian lets go entirely of Rilienus in favor of turning his full attention to Bull, hands gripping his arms as Bull holds him by the waist. “You two have a lot of history between you. A lot of feelings you never had the chance to explore. And if you really want to explore them, well. Who am I to say you can’t?”

Rilienus, as subtly as possible, steps back to give them both space. Dorian’s attention doesn’t falter, though, thinking, wondering, _wishing_. Bull waits as he always does, ever patient, watching as a thousand feelings run through Dorian’s eyes.

“You are my _amatus_ , Bull,” he finally says, lip wobbling slightly. “You are my _everything_. So if you say no, I will completely understand and respect your feelings, and hold no grudge against you.”

Silence falls over them once more, only broken by Dorian’s sniffing. His eyes look deep into Bull’s, flicking back and forth in a nervous frenzy. Searching. Waiting.

He bites his bottom lip.

“Tell me, Dorian. Would you leave me for Rilienus?”

“ _No_ ,” he replies almost immediately, shaking his head. “Never.”

“But if you could, would you like to rekindle your relationship from where you two were forced to stop?”

He hesitates, his eyes welling up again once he sees no malice in Bull’s question. “ _Yes_ ,” he whispers, smiling, and Bull smiles back, leaning in to kiss him, just a gentle thing, a pressing of their lips as Dorian inhales sharply, as his fingernails dig into Bull’s skin. Bull soothes him by rubbing his hands against his sides, and when he pulls back, he nudges Dorian with his nose.

“So go and kiss him too, kadan. You’re keeping him waiting.”

Dorian breathes in once, twice, his entire body heaving with it, shaking, then lurches himself towards Rilienus, throwing his arms around his neck and crashing their mouths together. Rilienus doesn’t hesitate; he whines loudly, relieved, overwhelmed, then holds Dorian tight and lifts him up off the floor, making them both laugh against each other’s mouths.

“ _Amicus_ ,” Dorian whispers when they finally pull back, and when they both look at Bull, he comes closer, kissing Dorian’s neck as Dorian untangles one of his hands from Rilienus’ hair to hold Bull by the back of his head. “ _Amatus_.” He sighs out shakily, like the words themselves, once out in the open, feel like a revelation. “I never dared... never dared to hope I’d ever be this _happy_.”

“Better get used to it then,” Bull says, kissing his cheek, and Rilienus in turn kisses his other.

“Because if it’s up to the two of us, you’ll be the happiest man alive, Dorian.”

And Dorian, gorgeous, sweet, perfect Dorian, laughs out loud, tears now streaming freely down his face, and hugs the two of them at once.

Inside Bull’s chest, his heart beats fast, in time with his kadan’s, a tingling warmth spreading through his body as Rilienus’ arm goes around his back, as Dorian kisses them both again, as he looks at them both like they’re his _everything_.

The Emerald Graves may be one of Bull’s favorite places in the world. But the one place he loves the most is here, in his kadan’s arms.

 _Happy_.


End file.
